Cornelius Clark, son of John and Anna Clark, was born at Freehold, New Jersey, Apr. 9, 1746. John being the son of William Clark, who, as his tombstone denotes, was "of the Kingdom of Scotland." Cornelius married Mary Grandin, daughter of Daniel and Sarah Throckmorton Grandin, her mother being the daughter of Job Throckmorton son of John who came from Eversham, England, in ship Lion, 1636, and finally settled at what has since been called Throgg's Neck, in Westchester County, N. Y.

    Cornelius Clark was engaged in the battle of Monmouth, and it is said that his wife saw the dramatic meeting of Washington and Gen. Lee on that historic field, their then residence being in that vicinity. They afterwards removed to Duanesburgh, N. Y., and there joined the Sherburne colony, of which he became an important member, being the Surveyor of the lands. He was awarded lot No. 7, where he continued to reside until his death, May 10, 1810, his log house having been on the first rise of land from the river flats, on the present Andrew Davis farm, the north road from Deacon Hatch's then passing that way, also a road leading across the river on his land to Abner Calkin's Mill opposite.

    They had son John who lived near them, also Daniel, and Job; daughter Anna, who married Asa Calkins, Mary, who married Benjamin Rexford, Catharine, who married Kies Wilder, Rachel, who married Benjamin Kingsley, and other children. Mrs. Clark died Aug. 9, 1836, at the Rexford homestead in Sherburne.

    Cornelius Clark was not only a Surveyor and a farmer, but appears to have also been a cooper and blacksmith. The following tribute is copied from a notice published at the time of his death: "For a course of years during his residence here, he was highly useful to his fellow citizens as a Surveyor and Scrivener. Several respectable connexions are left to lament their privation."

    Reuben Davis came from Somers, Conn. to Sherburne, in Feb. 1798, and settled on the farm afterwards owned by Edgar Baldwin. He lived there but a short time, then moved to where Jacob Reese now resides, and from there to the eastern part of the town on the old turnpike leading to Columbus, and kept an Inn, where the general elections for the town were sometimes held. The farm is now owned by Mrs. Gager. He had married Mehitable Sexton, a sister of Frederic Sexton, Sr., and thirteen children were born to them, ten boys and three girls. Two of the boys died young. Seven of the sons lived to be over seventy, and three to be over eighty. All were raised in a hotel and not one was ever known to be intoxicated or to use tobacco; all became men of some means. Eleven of the children married and had families. Henry married a Miss Campbell, moved to Chili, N. Y. Orlando married Mrs. Davenport Adsit, spent most of his life in Sherburne, but removed to Milo, N. Y., and died there. Horatio moved to Chili, N. Y. and there married. Reuben, Jr., married Sarah Ann Lobdell; lived at Sherburne. George married Sarah Ann Waterman; lived and died at Sherburne; had daughter Abigail, and sons Andrew and Warren, the former of whom lives on the homestead, the old Cornelius Clark farm. Fannie married Deacon Charles Benedict; lived and died in Sherburne. Norman married Elizabeth Campbell; lived and died at Chili. Hiram married first a Miss Scott and after her death, Caroline Hart, of Sherburne; moved to Chili where he died. Julia Ann married Israel Farrel, Jr.; is living at Washington, D. C. William married Helen Pope; lived and died in Sherburne. Mary married Stephen Pope who died at Smyrna; she afterward married a Mr. Little and resides in California. Reuben Davis, Sr., died May 18, 1844, aged 78.

    Elijah Sexton, brother of Stephen the father of Frederic, was from Somers, Conn., and was an early and prominent citizen of the 8th township; Justice of the Peace. He and his wife Sibbel were members of the West Hill Church; she died 1818, and he married Thankful Spencer. Had Elijah, Jr., John L., Norman, and daughter Sibbel who married Dr. Samuel Guthrie. Elijah Sexton died March 28, 1839, in his 85th year.

    James Raymond, who married Melissa, daughter of Rev. Blackleach Burritt, and lived on the west side of the river, had son Philander who married Cynthia Rose and had sons Curtis Burritt, Marsden, and James, all highly educated, and commissioned officers in the war for the Union. Philander had daughter Cynthia, who married John T. Gray, grandson of Elisha Gray of Sherburne, Mary C., wife of Rev. J. P. Preston, and Sidney H. James Raymond had daughter Celestia who married Horace Ensign, and lived at Madison, O. Major Curtiss Burritt Raymond was born in Sherburne; his later life was spent in Boston where his widow, Lydia Newell Osgood Raymond and daughter Helen Sawyer Raymond, reside.

    Deacon Abram Raymond, married Betsey Gray, daughter of John Gray, Sr., and had Mercy, David, Rev. Ebenezer, who removed to Oregon and left descendants there, John, who removed to Abingdon, Pa., Abigail, who married Alvin T. Smith and went to Oregon as a Missionary to the Indians, 1840; Cynthia, Lodema, Electa A., and Semantha Raymond.

    Isaac Raymond, cousin of Newcomb, James and Abram, was of Sherburne 1797, and the original owner of lot No. 19, as per Proprietor's Map. He remained there several years and then removed to Chatham, Columbia County.

    Zaccheus Raymond was living in Sherburne, Road Dist. No. 14, 1814. Fitch Raymond, son of Joshua of Bedford, N. Y., was the owner of the Kershaw Mill for several years from about 1820. His wife Anna Mead died June 11, 1820, buried at North Norwich; married second, Electa Brown of Sherburne.

    All descendants of Capt. Richard Raymond, of Beverly, Mass.

    Abraham Mudge, who was of Sherburne, for a few years, and removed to Bainbridge, was the son of Abraham, Sr., who had married Anna Gray, sister of Nathaniel and John Gray, Sr. His son Isaac married Mercy, daughter of Deacon Abram and Betsey Gray Raymond, and lived in Sherburne and Smyrna. Had William, Albert, Leander, Abraham, and Raymond Mudge.

    Rev. John Mudge the pioneer pastor of the Baptist Church near Earlville, was kindred of the above.

    John Hibbard, one of the earliest settlers of Sherburne, and the original owner of lot No. 14, comprising a large part of the present village of Sherburne, his log house, and afterwards his more commodious dwelling house, now somewhat removed and still occupied as a residence, having been located not far from Joshua Pratt's homestead. His marriage with Betsey Sartwell, March 4, 1795, is said to have been the first in the township. The bride was from Vermont, where she was born May 18, 1773. Was a sister-in-law of Orsamus Holmes. They had nine children, among whom were Daniel, who lived and died in Sherburne, and left descendants there, and Almira, who married Josiah Benedict, and had Mary Elizabeth, who married Mr. F. A. Hyatt and resides at Perryville, Madison Co. John Hibbard was born at Greenwich, Conn., May 18th, 1760, and died at Sherburne, Oct. 17, 1830.

    Daniel Hibbard, brother of John, also born in Greenwich, Conn., married at Sherburne, 1796. Bethiah, daughter of Nathaniel and Bethiah Newcomb-Raymond-Gray, patriotically born July 4th, 1776, at Kent, Conn. They lived on Sherburne West Hill for several years, where he worked at shoe-making. In 1811 they removed to Sheridan, and the History of Chautauqua County says he was a man of excellent repute among the pioneers of that place. He died at North East, Pa., 1840, aged 75. She died at Jamestown, N. Y., Oct. 24, 1854. They had son Luther who has son Daniel Hibbard at Pomona, Cal.; daughter Laura, who had two sons in the war for the Union, and Mary Hibbard, born on Sherburne West Hill, July 1, 1805, who married Capt. Joseph Kenyon, whose first wife was Hannah, sister of Demas Hubbard, Sr., of Sherburne, and lived at Jamestown, where he was a prominent citizen and Postmaster. Removed to Buffalo 1864, and died there. Had Darwin, Caroline S., Horace F., and Mary Adelaide, who, with her sister, holds responsible position in one of the public schools of Buffalo. Mrs. Kenyon still survives. Of her mother, it is said that La Fayette remarked, when she was presented to him during his visit to this country in 1824, "She is the most beautiful woman that I have seen in America!" Perhaps he remembered that her half-brother, Newcomb Raymond, had served under him with honor at Brandywine and Yorktown!

    Uriel Lee, born in Warren, Litchfield Co., Conn., came to Sherburne with his family 1802. Removed to Sheridan, Chautauqua Co., and was among the pioneers there, 1807. His son Joel, who was a commissioned officer in the war of 1812, married Amanda Gray, daughter of Elijah, one of the Sherburne Proprietors, 1814, and had Wellington Lee, who invented the Steam Fire Engine, and raised the sunken ships at Sevastopol. He married Harriet E. Gray, daughter of Dr. Patrick W., and grand-daughter of John Gray, Jr., one of the Proprietors; a son Wellington. Joel and Amanda Gray Lee also had Daniel Uriel, who was an officer in the war for the Union, and his son, T. C. Lee, enlisting at 15, won his Lieutenancy on the field of Gettysburg. A daughter Caroline celebrated her Golden Wedding with her husband, Martin Strong, at Waterford, Pa., Oct. 4th, 1892. They have an interesting daughter, Mrs. Adelaide Lee Stancliff, at Erie, Pa. Elias Baudinot Lee, son of Joel and Amanda Gray Lee, was mortally wounded in command of his Regt., the 211th Pennsylvania Vols., as Major, in the final assault at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865. Sarah A., married James M. Porter, and died at Aiken, S. C., 1870. Helen, married James G. E. Larned, deceased, and she now resides at Cedar Mountain, North Carolina, with her venerable mother who accomplished her Centennial on the 23d of Nov. 1892, and still survives. Joel Lee died 1836.

    Lorain Curtis was at Sherburne early as 1799; wife, Elizabeth Burget; her mother, Elizabeth Rees, sister of Jacob and William Rees, pioneers in Sherburne. Was a miller; for a time kept an Inn on the now Talcott Pratt place near the river bridge; then was at the old St. John Grist Mill near the tannery; had son John, and by second marriage, Dwight. John Curtis learned tanner's trade with Hubbard brothers, West Hill; then lived in Sherburne; engaged in shoe-making, firm of Curtis & Whitford; removed to west side of the river in house adjoining his tannery; went to California 1850, and died soon after arrival. Married Elsie Jones, 1824; had Elizabeth, (married Lemuel Robinson) Delos, George, Helen, Maria, Densie, Elsie, Theodore, and Smith Curtis, publisher Argus & Radical, at Beaver, Pa., the only survivor of the family.

    LIEUT. LORENZO W. HATCH, son of Col. Lorenzo, and grandson of Timothy Hatch, enlisted in 3d N. Y. Artillery. At that time he was at school at Cazenovia. Two of his comrades on their way to enlist called at his room to say good bye. He got aboard the stage to accompany them a little way, but becoming interested in their talk went on with them to Auburn, and himself joined the Company. He served his term of three years, much of the time in the Dept. of North Carolina under Gens. Burnside and Foster. Was engaged in at least ten battles, prominent among them being those at the capture of Ft. Macon and of Newbern in March and April, 1862, and of Kingston, Whitehall and Goldsboro in the December following. He was wounded but once in these engagements receiving an injury just below the knee. At the end of his term of service he returned home for a short time but soon re-enlisted-this time in the 15th N. Y. Cavalry. Being wounded in the mouth shortly after, he received a furlough and remained at home a short time, but reading the need of more men he hastened back to the field though he could not eat solid food and his furlough had not yet expired. He received a commission as Lieutenant, serving at that time in Western Virginia, near Cumberland, Md. Was sent out in command of a reconnoitering party at Green Spring Run, Va.; was surrounded and surprised by the enemy on the night of Nov. 11,1864. When he saw his situation he fought bravely, and having empted his revolver with deadly effect, drew his sword, crying, "Never surrender, boys, never surrender!" At that instant he was shot through his heart. His age was about 22 years. His body was brought to Sherburne and buried at the Quarter Cemetery.

    ISRAEL O. FOOTE, born in Sherburne, Nov. 9, 1834, entered Hamilton College fall of 1854, remained till 1857, and graduated from Union 1858. Went south and taught in Miss., and Texas until summer of 1860. Taught in Sherburne following winter, when he commenced studying law in Morrisville. But with his sense of duty and love of country, he could not be deaf to that country's call for men. Enlisting in Co. C. 61st Regt. N. Y. Vol. as a private, he was promoted to a Sergeantcy. Was in the campaigns of 1862 about Richmond. In August following he was sent to the general hospital in Phila., very much reduced in health. It was not until late in the fall that he had so far recovered as to return to the field. At this time he writes: "I feel as though my duty leads me again to the army; though I may not be able to endure the exposure, still it must be tried." He returned to his Regt. though his strength was not sufficient to endure the hard service of the field, and when the fatal advance was made up the heights of Fredericksburg on the 13th of Dec., the weak but faithful soldier pressed forward in the charge and fell before that hail of death, and his grave is among the unknown and unnumbered on that disastrous field.

    GEORGE R. MILLER, was born at Sherburne, Jan. 2, 1841. Enlisted in the 114th Regt. N. Y. V., Aug. 4, 1862, and was killed at the battle of Oquequan Creek, near Winchester, Va., Sept. 19, 1864, and buried by his comrades on the battle field. George was the first martyr to fall from the 114th Regiment on that day. He was struck by a shell and killed instantly while marching in line of battle. He was a good soldier, loved and respected by all who knew him; a devout Christian.

    EDGAR J. WILLEY, born Jan. 8, 1836, at Hamilton, enlisted Sept. 2d, 1861, in Co. C., 61st Regt. N. Y. V.; was fatally wounded at Fair Oaks, Va., June 1, 1862, died at White House Landing, June 7, and buried there. He wrote to his mother, "I have a severe shot in my side, but the Dr. says not necessarily fatal. A wound in my left arm, slight. Good-bye to you all, and if God so orders that we meet no more on earth, Father, Mother, Sisters, Brothers-may we all meet in Heaven. From your loving EDGAR."

    Capt. Isaac Plumb, of the 61st N. Y. V., one of the Boys in Blue of whom Sherburne was justly proud, died as the result of a wound received at Cold Harbor.

    Lieut. Frank Garland, of the 61st N. Y. V., gallant and patriotic, gave his life for his country in the great struggle on the historic field of Gettysburg.

    Jacob Havely bravely fell in the terrible onslaught at Port Hudson, and Sanford Brooks was among the slain for Freedom and Union at Fair Oaks.

    Much of the above memoranda is from a memorial address by Dr. Homer G. Newton at the Congregational Church, Sherburne, Feb. 8, 1883.

Copy of this document

    The following is a partial list of the Revolutionary Soldiers who were of Sherburne:

    The following incident copied from Hatch's History evidences how party spirit sometimes stirred up the Fathers. This occurred about the time of the war of 1812: Newcomb Raymond having business at the County seat, on his return called on Col. Mead, who kept a public house near North Norwich bridge. They got into a political discussion upon certain measures then before the country. Col. Mead defended and Mr. Raymond opposed them. Mr. Mead growing warm, exclaimed that all who were opposed were "Tories." This declaration roused the lion. "Col. Mead! when you were in your cradle, I was following General Washington, leaving my foot-prints marked on the snow and ice in blood! To be called a Tory by you, is too much for flesh and blood to bear. Nothing but your being in your own house saves you from a thrashing; and if you say it again, that shan't save you!" The fire and bearing of this man, who was among those who, at midnight, under Generals Hamilton and LaFayette entered the first redoubt taken from Cornwallis at Yorktown, bayonet in hand, without flint in his musket, awed the Colonel, and he said no more.

    Of the tragedies of Sherburne may be noted the accidental drowning of John Lathrop son of Josiah, in the river, 1818; death of Williston Dixon by being run over by a team in front of his father's house in June, 1827; the accidental shooting of the lad Philander Sheldon, by Mr. P. C. Elmendorf, while hunting pigeons in the woods on the west part of Newcomb Raymond's farm, 1842; and the murderous drowning of a little boy in the canal at Sherburne at an earlier date. A reward of $250 was offered in the Olive Branch, date of July 21, 1809, for the arrest of the person or persons who were guilty of snatching the body of Mr. George Riddel from his grave near the West Hill Meeting House. The offer of this reward was made by Jonathan, Jonathan, Jr., Daniel and Geo. Pettit.

    The following incident is related of Dr. Asa White in Hatch's History of Sherburne: "In the early days of his ride he was called to visit a patient residing about ten miles distant, and his path led him through a dense forest for about ten miles. Midway some pioneer had commenced the erection of a log house, so far completed as to be ready to receive the roof, and a narrow doorway had been cut through on one side. Receiving a bushel of corn as compensation for his services, the Doctor set out on his return. Night overtook him soon after he entered the woods, when he was seen and followed by a pack of hungry wolves. Hurrying forward he led his horse into the half finished house, took a seat with his bag directly over the doorway, and defended himself and horse by swinging a long pole backwards and forwards until the dawn of day---the wolves most of the time in close proximity and determined to force their way into the enclosure."

    The population of the township of Sherburne by the census of 1890 was 2,847; of the village, included in the foregoing, 960. Assessed valuation of the township, 1892, was $1,535,677; of the village, $319,387.50. The assessment roll for 1801, the earliest known to be in existence, will be seen on the succeeding page. The number of acres assessed to non-residents in the 9th township, (Sherburne,) 1804, was only 3,516, while in the 8th township, (Smyrna,) there were 12,800; showing how much more rapidly the former was settled than the latter.

    An old map date of 1809, of the Chenango Turnpike, extending from Oxford to Sangers in New Hartford, shows the part north from Sherburne still unfinished.

    A correspondent of the early days pays John F. Fairchild, publisher of the Olive Branch, the handsome compliment of being the handsomest man in Sherburne!

    The first lawsuit of record between Sherburne litigants took place at a session of the Court held at Elisha Payne's in Hamilton, October, 1799. The entry upon the ancient docket is, "Asa White vs. Lorain Curtis. Decision in favor of defendant; 25 cents and costs." In those days the courts evidently dealt in elemental justice.

    Joshua Talcott, Sr., who was early of Sherburne West Hill, being the first occupant of what was afterwards long known as the Demas Hubbard farm, was from Bolton, Conn., where his fist wife, Jemima, had died. He was the father of Joshua, Jr., and Harvey Talcott, of Smyrna, and of Jemima, who married Joshua Pratt. He died July 19th, 1804.

    Judge Hezekiah Talcott, kindred of Joshua, was born in Wethersfield, Conn., June 18, 1739, and came to the West Hill from Herkimer Co., being drawn thither by the fact that his two sons-in-law, Priest Knight and Asa Gifford, resided there. He lived on what was afterwards known as the Wooster place, where he died Dec. 3d, 1824.

    Rev. Dr. J. D. Fulton, the noted Baptist divine, is a native of Sherburne, being the son of Rev. John J. and Clarissa Dewey Fulton, his father having been the pastor of the old Baptist Church near Earlville, at the time of his birth, March 1, 1828.

    Among the teachers at the old Sherburne Academy whose names will long be connected with it, were Rev. Dr. James Eells, and Rev. I. F. Pettibone. Their memory is indeed precious.

    Amos Cole, who was one of the earliest settlers was, according to the tombstone data on the West Hill, four times married, himself surviving until his 93d year. Had among other children sons Festus and Henry who were fine musicians, the latter having been for a time organist of the Congregational Church.

    Eber Snow was the blacksmith on the West Hill during the early days, and it was his pretty daughter who became the wife of Dr. Seba Mead, who was for many years the principal physician in Smyrna.

    Nathaniel Gray was the first agent for Judge Watts in the disposal of his Sherburne lands, and in the summer of 1804 he stopped with him for a time in his then just completed new house which is still standing nearly opposite the Quarter Cemetery. In the old Field Book of the survey of those lands made by Rix Burlingame in 1796, are references to Mr. Gray having sold this or that lot of land.

    Hatch's History says that the first bridge over the river was built near the junction of the Handsome Brook, to accommodate foot passengers, while teams forded the stream a short distance below. It consisted of one large tree in width and three in length, leveled on the upper side with the hewing axe. Stakes driven a few feet apart near the outer edges, were interwoven with withs, to protect women and children from falling into the stream. A woman by the name of Lathrop, rode across the bridge with a child in her arms, to the astonishment of her friends and neighbors, in safety. It was considered a hazardous undertaking, even to lead a horse over the structure. A Frenchman, rather than ride through the river, made the attempt, when, unfortunately, the horse fell upon the bridge, with his feet dangling on both sides, and was prevented from falling into the water by the stakes and withs, which held him there, until the neighbors could be rallied, from a quarter to one mile around, in sufficient numbers to lift and support the horse across the remainder of the bridge, which, with considerable difficulty, they were enabled to accomplish.

    It was near the eastern end of this bridge that the pioneers built their first rude log cabin, and tradition says it was near that place that Joel Hatch and Newcomb Raymond closed up their celebrated grindstone co-partnership by a division of the stock on hand after the radical manner that Solomon proposed to the two disputing widows! And they were the best of friends ever after.

    Among the school teachers of the earlier days not already mentioned, are Col. Lorenzo Hatch, Philander Raymond, Caroline Mudge, Hannah Chapman, Charles Allen, George W. Wooster, Semantha Raymond, and Adaline Crandall, in the District on the west side of the river; one the West Hill, Deacon Joseph Adams, Irad Raymond, James T. Gifford, Williams Avery; in the Quarter District, winter of 1824-5, Israel Foote; winter of 1825-6, Alfred Raymond. Mr. Mandeville was a very successful teacher in the Sherburne Union School when first established; was afterwards Attorney General of California. Lysander Chapman was the terror of all the unruly schools in the town, and administered corporeal punishment with unsparing rigor.

    As an instance of how helpful the neighbors were to each other in the early days: Henry Gardiner, then living on the present Sidney Sanford place, had his barn struck by lightning one Saturday night and consumed by fire. At the close of service on Sunday Priest Knight announced that there would be a "bee" to help Mr. Gardiner on the following day; and by Tuesday night it had been fully rebuilt. And this reminds that Andrew Davis still points out the stump of a noble pine tree that the Hatches gave towards rebuilding Capt. Newton's Woollen Mill when it had been burned in 1816, it being riven into shingles for that purpose.

    Asa Foote, Sr., was a Millwright, and he rebuilt the now Kershaw Mill when it had been burned about 1820, after which it is said that he owned it for a short time.

    Mills Landon, for many years prominent in Sherburne, Justice of the Peace, &c., and who married for his second wife a sister of Milo Hunt, removed to Spencerport, N. Y., 1835, and died there in 1864, in his 83d year. A son resides in Rochester.

    Sidney Avery was a cabinet-maker at Sherburne for a period prior to 1845, when he removed to Belvidere, Ill., where he died 1888, in his 88th year, leaving three children Mrs. D. D. Sabin, Belvidere, Wm. D., of Chicago, and Rev. Eugene H. Avery of Vinton, Ill. Mrs. Avery was a daughter of Deacon Dickey. A choice family.

    Deacon Chester Hammond resided in the 8th township, but his children were all baptised at the old West Hill Church including sons, Rev. H. L. Hammond, eminent as a clergyman, and Col. Chas. G. Hammond, who was President of the Union Pacific R. R., and prominent as a financier and philanthropist. His daughter, Eleaner Eunice, married Mr. Hurd, and resides at Galesburg, Ill.; her son, Dr. Henry M. Hurd, is Supt of Johns Hopkins Hospital at Baltimore, Md.

    The Inn kept by John Guthrie when he was Postmaster and flourished for a time, was on the site of the present Daniels House, his predecessors having been Bela S. Scoville and Samuel Stebbins, and afterwards he was succeeded by Gardner Babcok, whose daughter became the wife of Judge Roswell Judson; a Mr. Morris also kept the place, and for a time it was called Morris House.